Refrigerator deck pan



July 24, 1934. D. SANDFORD REFRIGERATOR DECK PAN Filed.April 5, 1933 Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8Claims.

My invention relates to a refrigerator deck pan construction wherein is provided means for maintaining the air in the refrigerator in a substantially constant humid condition by resupply- 3 ing to the air the condensate of frost from the cold unit. The invention also provides a deck pan having means which prevents the formation of a condensate on the .undersides of the deck pan and a resultant dripping of moisture directly 1% onto the food.

The invention particularly relates to a deck pan construction particularly adaptable to unichamber refrigerators, as distinct from compartmental refrigerators, wherein the article to be 328 chilled is exposed directly and without substantially any bafilement to the cooling unit. As is well known, the heat transfer in such refrigerators is efiected by radiation, as well as throu'gh the establishment of convectional air currents ID with respect to the cooling unit.

The invention has for its particular object to provide a deck pan having a sufficient surface to catch the liquid condensate discharged from off the cooling unit of the refrigerator upon a 5 defrosting thereof and at the same time having a minimum of surfaces exposed to the air within the refrigerator of a temperature lower than the air temperature. The invention has for its further particular object to provide a means for 39 carrying off the liquid condensate thus caught beyond that which is necessary to maintain a humid state of the air within the refrigerator. The deck pan of my invention provides, therefore, a means whereby the collection of con- 85 densate will not be effected on other surfaces of a deck pan than the said liquid catching surface and thus prevent the divestment of the air and consequently the objects and produce, in contact with the air, of their self-contained 40 moisture. It is appreciated by those skilled in the art that upon defrosting or shut down of the cooling unit that it is requisite that the condensate of frost from the cooling unit be carried off and prevented from falling to or running over the refrigerator or produce contained therein. Therefore, it is' of practical necessity to locate a catch pan or deck pan in vertical alignment with the cooling unit to receive the liquefied moisture. By reason of the location of the deck pan, it receives through the medium of convection and radiation the thermal effect of the cooling unit, and, unless the pan partakes of the features of my invention, will offer increased and additional cold surfaces upon which the air moisture may condense to the detriment and lowering of a desirable humid air condition. The pan provided by my invention has a. condensate catching surface upon defrosting of the cooling unit, the other connected surfaces thereto being substantially insulated therefrom so as to prevent heating transmission between themselves and the condensate receiving surface, and subsequent withdrawal of moisture from the air onto the connected surfaces.

The invention also provides a plurality of retic- 65 ulated elements connected to the condensate catching surface which may be located so as to catch the moisture condensate which drips from the cooling unit and hold minute particles in suspension in the line of the convectional air currents set up about the cooling unit, thus insuring ready reabsorption of the moisture by the air. If desired, the reticulated elements may be adjustable to vary their relative position with respect to the falling condensate and the air currents, to secure high efficiency of operation.

Tl...- invention has also for its object to provide an easily removable and cleansable deck pan that may be inexpensively installed and renders efllcient performance.

The invention consists in other features and advantages which will appear from the following description and upon examination of the drawing. Structures containing the invention may partake of different forms and may be varied in 35 their details and still embody the invention. To illustrate a practical application of the invention,

I have selected a refrigerator deck pan embodying the invention as an example of the various structures and" details thereof that contain the invention and shall describe the selected structure hereinafter, it being understood that variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. The particular structure selected is shown in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 of the drawing illustrates a perspective view of a refrigerator, a part being shown broken away to illustrate the installed position of the refrigerator deck pan chosen for purposes of illustration. Fig. 2 of the drawing illustrates a view ably at a slight angle to the horizontal. The trough portion is supported in position relative to the cooling unit by suitable supporter straps that may engage a part of the cooling unit.

The web or channel of the trough portion is provided with a plurality of baiiies or small dams which may be of any depth dependent on a desired predetermined humid condition required in the refrigerator. The bailles act to prevent immediate running off of all the condensed moisture and cause pools or small reservoirs of liquid condensate to be formed located in the path of the convectional air currents induced by the cooling unit whereby the moisture may be returned to the air in determinable quantities to maintain the humidity substantially constant regardless of the variation of produce placed in the refrigerator or changes effected by opening or closing the entry into the refrigerator. One end of thetrough portion has an opening for directing the overflow and excess quantities of condensed moisture to a communicating drain pipe.

Surmounting each of the baflies is an air-hydrating element which tends to catch and hold in surface suspension quantities of the liquefied condensate which may drip from the cooling unit and be maintained exposed to the immediate contact of the air and the currents thereof induced around the cooling unit. Preferably each element is formed of wire mesh suspended within a suitable frame which is hingedly connected to the baffle and being angularly adjustable with respect to the cooling unit by a control bar having a conveniently located handle for manipulation thereof. Thus, the operator may, by movement of the control bar, locate the air-hydrating elements in substantially a horizontal position during defrosting of the cooling unit to catch quantitles of the dripping liquid condensate and hold portions thereof in suspension-in the mesh of the element for later distribution to the air, which may be most efficiently effected by adjusting the mesh to be located in a substantially vertical position with respect to the cooling unit. It is apparent that one may set the elements according to the constancy of humidity desired, the excess quantities of moisture draining oif through the trough and drain.

A shell or housing part is connected to the trough and extends over substantially the entire bottom exterior surface thereof, forming an intermediate chamber between the inner shell surface and the exterior bottom surface of the trough. The shell is provided with an opening that may be closed by a suitable fusible plug. Preparatory to closure of the shell opening, the chamber is subjected to a drying treatment, such as by heating thewalls of the chamber to drive substantially all the air moisture out of the chamber. The chamber is then subjected to a slight evacuation of air, rarefying the remaining contained air, whereupon the opening is sealed by the plug. Thus it will be seen that the trough bottom is surrounded by a means resistant to heat transmission, such as will prevent lowering of the temperature of the shell wall sufficiently to cause any moisture condensation thereon.

I appreciate and recognize that cork insulatory layers have been provided heretofore, but by reason of the cellular formation of which cork is characteristic, moisture cannot be readily withdrawn therefrom, resulting in consequent heat conduction and sweating wherefore cork and other similar insulating fillers have been found objectionable and inefliciently costly.

varied length throughout the line of longitudinal extension of the trough 1 so as tosupport the trough at a slight inclination to the horizontal and to direct'liquefied or condensed moisture to one end of the trough in which is located an opening 8.

The opening 8 of the trough 1 communicates I with a suitable drain pipe 10 for carrying oil excess quantities of moisture condensate from the trough 1. Interposed at spaced positions along the trough -1, from the opening 8, are a plurality of small dams or baflies 12 which extend across the channel of the trough. The baffles 12 may be formed of metal and, if desired, integral with the channel of the trough. The depth of the baflles and the number of them located in the trough may be varied according to the dimension of the associated parts and the state of humidity desired to be maintained, there tending to be increased liquid surface exposure and subsequent air saturation with moisture with an increase in number of bailies 12, the excess quantities being carried off through the pipe 10.

In order to further maintain the air humidity within the refrigerator 4 at a desirable degree, an air-hydrating element 20 may be supported on each of the bailies 12. The hydrating element 20 has a frame 21 over which is supported a wire mesh 22. The frame 21 may be hingedly connected to the baflie 12, as by a hinge 24, for varyingthe angular relation of the wire mesh 22 to the cooling unit 3, and thereby be adjustably located to vary the quantityv of. liquefied condensate that may be caught and held by the mesh as the condensate drips from the cooling unit 3. The gauge of the wire mesh is such that quantities of the liquefied condensate will be maintained on the mesh, as against ready flow, by the surface tension of the condensate, and thus the frame 21 may be located with respect to the cooling unit, after the mesh is charged with moisture, so that the air currents induced about the cooling unit may impinge on the surface of the mesh and readily absorb the moisture held thereby. The excess quantities of the moisture will readily drain off and be carried to the drain pipe 10.

In order to adjust uniformly the elements 20 and render the adjustment thereof easily controllable by the user, the frames 21 are each connected to a suitable control bar 25. The control bar 25 is slidably supported by the walls of the trough 1, as at 26, for reciprocable movement with respect to the trough. The control bar 25 has a plurality of slots 27 which are located in spaced relation along the bar, approximating the relative locations of the hydrating elements. Each frame 21 of the hydrating elements 20 is connected to the bar 25 by a link 28 having a pin 29 adapted to ride in a slot 27. The bar is provided with a suitable handle 30, easily grasped by the operator, to move the bar 25 inwardly, thereby moving the elements 20 toward a horizontal position or outwardly to .move the elements 20 toward a vertical position. If desired, the bar may be provided with calibrations 31 to indicate the angle at which the elements are lo- In order to prevent condensation of moisture on the under surface of the trough and the resultant undesirable withdrawal from the air of the beneficial moisture a shell 15 is connected and sealed at its edges and ends to the edges and ends of the trough to form a chamber 16. The shell 15 has an opening 17 which may be closed and sealed as by a plug 18. Prior to closing and sealing the opening 17, the moisture contained in the air within the chamber is withdrawn by subjecting the chamber to a drying process, such as by heating the walls of the chamber. The chamber 16 is then subjected to a slight vacuum to rarefy the air and thereby reduce the tendency of heat transmission between the wall formed by the trough and shell. The opening 17 is then closed and sealed by the plug 18. The heat of the trough and shell will not be readily transmitted to one another and thus the temperature of the shell wall will be substantially the same as that of the surrounding air so as to prevent condensation of moisture out of the air onto the shell wall.

I claim:

1. In a deck pan for a refrigerator having a refrigerator cooling means, a trough, means for supporting the trough relative to the refrigerator cooling means, a plurality of liquid traps formed on the surface of the trough, means for discharging excess quantities of liquid from the trough and traps, a shell connected to the trough and extending over the exterior surface thereof, the shell and trough forming. an intermediate sealed chamber of air substantially resistant to heat transmission between the shellwall and trough.

2. In a deck pan for a refrigerator having a refrigerator cooling means, a trough, means for supporting the trough below and in vertical alignment with the cooling means of the refrigerator, a predetermined plurality of baiiies extending across the channel of the trough whereby quantities of liquid from the refrigerator cooling means is impooled for subsequent absorption by the air within the refrigerator, means for carrying off excess quantities of the said liquid, a shell connected to the edges of the trough and extending over the exterior surface thereof and forming a rarefied air chamber substantially resistant to heat transmission.

3. In combination with a cooling unit, a deck pan having a trough, means. for supporting the trough relative to the cooling unit, the trough having a plurality of pockets for containing desired quantities of condensed moisture, means connected to the, trough for carrying of! excess quantities of condensed moisture, a shell extending over the exterior surface of the trough and forming'an insulating air chamber resistant to heat transmission.

4. In a deck pan for a refrigerator cooling unit, a trough, means for supporting the trough below and in vertical alignment with the cooling unit, a predetermined plurality of baflies extending across the channel of the trough at predetermined points relative to air currents induced about the cooling unit, a shell extending over the exterior surface of the trough and connected to the edges thereof and forming thereby a chamber for containing a volume of rarefied pre-dried air substantially resistant to heat transmission.

5. In a deck pan for a refrigerator having a refrigerator cooling means, a trough, means for supporting the trough parallel to and below the refrigeratqrlcooling means, a plurality of reticulated sheet members pivotally connected to the trough, and means for varying the angular relation of the reticulated sheet members to the cooling means.

6. In a refrigerator having a cooling unit, the combination of a deck pan having a trough, means for supporting the trough below the cooling unit, a plurality of reticulated members, each of the reticulated members hingedly connected to the trough, a control means connected to the reticulated members for varying the angular relation of the reticulated members to the trough whereby liquefied condensate from the cooling unit may be periodically directed to the reticulated members and located in the path of the air currents induced around and by the cooling unit. 7. In a deck pan for a refrigerator having a refrigerator cooling means, a trough, means for supporting the trough proximate to the refrigerator cooling means, a liquid trap formed on the surface of the trough, means for carrying of: excess quantities of-the liquid from the trough and trap, a shell connected to the trough and extending over the exterior surface thereof, the shell and the trough forming 'an intermediate sealed chamber of air substantially resistant to heat transmission between the shell wall and trough.

8. In a deck pan for a refrigerator having a refrigerator cooling means, a trough, means for supporting the trough proximate to the refrigerator cooling means, a reticulated sheet member pivotally connected to the trough, and means for varying the angular relation of the reticulated sheet member to the trough.

DENT SANDFORD. 

